GLADSTONE– The Negaunee High School softball team split a road doubleheader at Gladstone on Thursday.

The Miners fell to the Braves 7-5 in game one before rebounding for a 6-2 victory in game two.

Negaunee is now 16-5 on the season after the doubleheader split and head coach Randy Carlson was pleased to get a win against a quality program.

“I think we’re finally getting the program to where it needs to be,” he said. “I’ve been coaching them for a long time and it’s a pleasure to coach them. Everyone contributes and they hit the ball well in both games (today).”

In Game 1, the Miners held a 4-2 lead after the third inning with junior starting pitcher Abby Nelson holding the Braves at bay.

Gladstone pulled within one run in the 4th to make it 4-3 and its biggest inning of the day came in the 5th, when the Braves scored four runs to pull ahead 7-4.

Negaunee scored one more run in the 7th, but that’s all it would see in a Game 1 defeat.

Junior Hannah Voskuhl went 3 for 4 for the Miners in Game 1 while juniors Payton Drew, Cassidy Orr and freshman Katelyn Lammi had two hits each. Morgan Letteriello earned the win on the mound for the Braves.

In Game 2, the Miners started sophomore Skylar Hall on the mound. Hall went the full seven innings and struck out six with one walk.

“Skylar pitched great,” Carlson said. “It’s great to see for a sophomore. She doesn’t show a lot of emotion out there and it’s good for her.”

The Miners scored twice in the 1st inning for the early 2-0 lead before Gladstone tied it up in the bottom of the 4th. That was all offense the Braves saw though as Negaunee scored four runs in the final two innings, while Hall shut down the Gladstone lineup.

Drew and junior Mykenna Kontio added an RBI for the Miners in Game 2 while Nelson and Lammi each added two hits.

Negaunee travels to Escanaba on Saturday for the Escanaba Invitational tournament.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Spitza. Email him at sports@miningjournal.net.